Window-glass apparatus



June 16, 1925.

l W. WESTBURY .WINDOW GLASS APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1923 Z7?. z fg a M /2 L ///A////// /jd v WH -2 ya /8 /f Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM VIESTBURY, OFCANEY, KANSAS.

` WINDoWlGLAss APPARATUS.

VAppncaamn mearebruay 19,1923. serial no; 619,927.

ABe itknown that I, WILLIAM VESTBURY,

a citizen of the United States, and resident ofCaney, county of Montgomer citate of Kansas,` have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement inVVindonhGlass Apparatus, of which the following is a complete specification. A This invention relates to Window glass apparatus. At the presentV timetwo'methods of drawing glass cylinders by what is known as the pot method, are employed. In one method, one of a pair of pots, lis inverted into a kiln at the top thereof to melt the hardened residue of glass from the pot, While cylinder is being' Fpulled from the companion or upright pot. lIn the other method one ofa pair of pots is supported on edge? and faces into a kiln through an opening in oneside thereof to effec-t the melting' and drainage of glassfrom such pot, the companion pot beinguprightatthe time so that a cylinder can be pulledtherefrom. in eachof the kilnsof suoli methods, there is a drainhole, and two burners for heating purposes; and the proportions of the pots with respect to the kiln. are such that the temperature of the latter. is undulyvlowered by thefburning-out operation, which is there fore retarded until the normal temperature is restored.A p p i Thisis one drawback to the use of an individual pot kiln, and another is that neither oil nor producer gas-especially the latter-can be used efficiently with u such small kilns, and a `blast to give full and quick heating results, is destructive of the walls of the kiln and of the pots. Y

My' object thereforeis to provide a kiln of such size and proportion as `to accommodate a plurality of pots so that the burningoutof the cold, or residue glass from one or more"` potsat the same time shall not unduly lower the temperature and therefore ejlticiencyof operation or retard the same.

A further object is to provide a kiln for accommodation of al plurality ofpots, having provision for reversing thePoints of supplying the fuel from one end or side of the kiln to the other at regular intervals7 so that the kiln may be maintained at a uniform temperature at all pointsand at all times, a further object being to provide a kiln in which gas, oil or producer gas may be efficiency employed. lVith a kiln of this character, there will he no material fluctuation of temperature due to exposure in the kilnof cold glass in a pot or any necessity for .suddenly raising the temperature by means' of a blast, to restore the kiln to normal temperature,which sudden changes ot temperature are very destructive on the walls of a kiln and' on the pots, and furthe-rmore results in more or less uneveness in the thickness of the walls and inthe diameter of the glass cylinders Awhich are pulled 7 ith these objects in view the invention consists Ain certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter explained, and in order that it may be fullyunderstood, reference is to be had to Athe accompanying drawing, in which: t u

Figure 1 is a perspective view of kiln embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a horizontal sectionof the same taken on the line II-II of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the kiln equipped with pot carrying and adjusting means forsupporting a pair of pots, one from which a cylinder'is to be pulled and the other from which the cold or residue glass is melted `intothe kiln; and Y Figure l is an enlarged Vvertical longitudinal sectionfof the kiln. t

Referring nowl to the drawing in detail, l indicates a flooring below which is located a kiln 2 provided with adrain hole 3, and communicating with oppositeends of the kiln are ducts 4 and 5the opposite ends of the ducts communicating with a flue 6 leading to a stack 7, the front end of the flue being open as at S to providean intake for air. Y l v y A butterfly' valve or the like 9 is located at the junction of the`ducts 4 and 5 *with the llue 6 so that it may be adjusted for establishing simultaneous communication betweenonev of the `ducts andthe stack and between the. instake of flue. 6` and the other duct, and to control the draft, a damper l0 is located inthe flue Gbetween the points of communication therewith of the vducts t and 5 and the stack. p

Foi-the purpose of heating the air which enters the flue from the ducts,` checker work ll `of suitable material is located in` each of theducts, Communicating With the duct (ill 5 adjacent the kiln, is an additional duct 11, provided with a similar checker work 11b, and said duct communicates at its opposite end with the flue 6 rearward of the butterfly or equivalent valve 9. The duct 111"L is controlled by a damper 12, and a supply pipe 13 for producer gas or the like com-- municates with the duct 11a between the damper thereof and the kiln, and is controlled by a valve 14. If the kiln is to be operated reversibly with producers gas, the arrangement described must be duplicated at the other end of the kiln in conjunction with duct 4 as shown and described in connection with duct 5.

15v is a supply pipe for natural gas comn'iunicating with duct 4 and controlled by a valve 1G. As shown, an oil supply pipe 17 is arranged, in conjunction with duct 5. It will thus be seen that if natural gas only is available, it can be supplied at either end of the kiln so as to be possible to reverse the iire at suitable intervals, and the same statement applies with respect to the burning of oil. This statement' also true with respect to the burning of producer gas, provided the same equipment shown in conjunction with duct 5, is supplied in conjunction with duct 4. lVith the valves arranged as shown in Figure 2, it is obvious that the fuel of combustion will be supplied to the kiln from duct 5, the air to support combustion, especially if natural is used, entering at the intake. point 8, while the products of combustion will pass out of duct 4, and in so doing will heat the checker work therein, and pass from duct 4 into flue 6 and to the stack. By reversing the butterfly valve the air can be supplied through duct 4 to support combustion through thev burner therein and the products of combustion will pass through duct heating the checker work therein and then pass to the flue and thence to the stack. It will thus be seen that the checker work of the ducts is available for heating the air at all times.

lVith a kiln of the character described, it will be most convenient to use four double pots as one blower can handle four machines. 0f course, the kiln may be adapted to handle a fewer number of machines or pots or a greater number, and in this connection it may be stated that if oil is used for 'the fuel, it will be desirable` to line the walls of the kiln with silica brick as they will stand the oil lire better than the fire clay commonly used. However, the particular composition of the walls of the kiln or of the pots is not material in this invention, as any suitable type of material may be employed.

The kiln may be provided with openings 18 either in one side as shown, or in the top. If the openings are provided in the side of the kiln, it is essential that each member of thel double pot shall be capable of adjustment so as to occupy an upright position when a cylinder is being drawn therefrom and an edgewise position when the residue of glass is being melted from ,the pot. As one convenient method of supporting and adjustingl a double pot of the character last referred to, I employ a shaft 19 which is suitably journaled transversely of the kiln and vertically over each opening 18. A lever is employed identified by the character 20, for shifting said shaft longitudinally without interfering with free rotative movement thereof when necessary. The lever is fulcrumed upon a support 21 equipped with a sector 22 for engagement by a latch mechanism Q3 carried by the lever, so that the shaft can be secured at the desired point of longitudinal adjustment.

A suitable frame 24 is mounted upon the shaft and projects up through an opening 25 in the flooring. At diametrically opposite points the frame is equipped with a pair of pots 26 which are pivotally mounted so as to be capable of assuming an upright position or an edgewise position, and as a simple way of supporting the pots in an upright position adjustable rods 27 are provided. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft after it has been adjusted so that the pots will clear the kiln, to raise the lower pot to an upright position above the flooring and lower the other pots to a position opposite the openings 18 in the wall of the kiln and to dispose such pots in an edgewise position, after which the lever is adjusted to shift the shaft so as to cause said edgewise arranged pots to enter the openings and be subjected to the heat of the kiln Vin order that the glass f in the pots may be melted therefrom and drain into the kiln. The special construction of this type of double pot and the means for adjusting it are embodied in a copending application and for this reason the said construction and its mode of operation have not been detailed with any great or sullicient particularity.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a kiln embodying the features of advantage set forth as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention, and while I have illustrated the preferred construction it will be under-- stood that it is susceptible of modification in various particulars wit-hout departing from the principle of construction or motie of operation involved.

I claim:

In glass making apparatus, a kiln having a plurality of openings, conduits comnnmicating at one end with the kiln at opposite points thereof, a iiue connected to the opposite ends of the conduits and open at one end, a stack connected to the other end of the flue, a valve for establishing oomu end of the flue, `to sustain combustion in the municationV between the rear end of either kiln, and means for facing pots in the kiln of the conduits and the open end of the flue through the openings of the latter. 10 and between the rear end of the other con- In 'witness whereof I hereunto affix my duit and the stack, means for discharging signature.

a combustible mixture into the kiln from the conduit in communication with the open WILLIAM W'ESTBURY. 

